Heathrow bosses claim third runway can help cut noise from flights

Friday 6 September 2013 10:40 BST

Heathrow chiefs today told the Government’s aviation supremo that they could build a third runway and still cut noise pollution by 20 per cent.

At a special hearing of the Davies Commission into how expansion would affect quality of life, they said the airport could be become “bigger and quieter” thanks to aircraft technology and operational innovations.

They set out a five-point plan which they say would reduce noise through quieter aircraft such as BA’s new fleet of A380s, a new runway to the west of the existing two, steeper gradients of take-off and landing, changing runway use to provide respite for residents and home insulation schemes.

Heathrow chiefs claim that a new runway to the west would reduce noise by 20 per cent, and a new runway north of the airport by 10 per cent.

They told the hearing that despite the number of flights nearly doubling since the Seventies about 90 per cent fewer people were affected by noise — based on the 57 decibel measure used by the Government.

They disputed claims that the boom in flights had adversely affected quality of life near the airport, pointing out that the population of Hounslow was up by 20 per cent in the past decade.

Heathrow sustainability director Matt Gorman said: “The evidence we have submitted to the Commission today shows it is possible to add the flights that will boost UK jobs, growth and trade while keeping the impact on local residents to a minimum.”

West London councils opposed to Heathrow expansion say that using a lower 55 decibel measure reveals that 700,000 people are affected by noise from the airport’s flights.

Today they called on the Davies Commission to adopt a new model for measuring the effect that living under the flightpath has on quality of life.

The 2M group wants the Government to adopt the ANASE study which sets a lower threshold to register residents’ annoyance at aircraft noise.

Hillingdon council leader Ray Puddifoot said: “It shouldn’t be down to the local authorities to resurrect the ANASE findings. It is astonishing that neither the last government or the present one had done this.”

Airport operators were told by the Davies Commission to submit evidence on noise pollution at the latest in a series of hearings that have also covered climate change, the economy, forecast demand for new flights and the merits of a hub airport.

Sir Howard Davies will publish an interim report in December which is expected to list a handful of options for long-term solution to the capacity crisis, as well as short-term fixes such as improved road and rail links to airports in the South-East.